Sweden drops rape investigation into WikiLeaks head Julian Assange

Sweden has dropped a rape investigation into WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the Swedish prosecutor’s office announced on Friday.

“The investigation against Julian Assange is discontinued,” read a statement put out by Director of Public Prosecution Ms. Marianne Ny. At a Friday press conference, Ny and “Chief Prosecutor Ingrid Isgren will give information about the decision,” the Swedish prosecutor’s office statement read.

In order to avoid extradition, Assange has been living in the Ecuadorean embassy to the United Kingdom in London since 2012.

But the U.K. authorities indicated Friday that Assange still faces arrest there were he to leave the embassy.

After the Swedish prosecutor’s office announced its decision, a statement put out by the Metropolitan Police in London said that in light of the U.K.’s outstanding warrant for the arrest of Assange “following him failing to surrender to the court” on June 29, 2012, it was still “obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the Embassy.”

“Now that the situation has changed and the Swedish authorities have discontinued their investigation into that matter, Mr. Assange remains wanted for a much less serious offense,” the Metropolitan statement added.